


Jump (in love) then Fall (off the swings)

by gorgxoxus



Category: Glee
Genre: 5 + 1 Fic, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Childhood Friends to Lovers, F/F, stan the muppet babies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:33:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29426778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gorgxoxus/pseuds/gorgxoxus
Summary: 5 + 1 fic.5 times Tina watched Quinn fall off the swings and the one time it was immortalised forever in video form.from the prompt:The swings at a small playground and “Please don’t tell me you filmed that.” “of course, I filmed it.”Prompted by @kuiinncedes on tumblr. love you Jeanne!
Relationships: Tina Cohen-Chang/Quinn Fabray
Kudos: 6





	Jump (in love) then Fall (off the swings)

**Author's Note:**

> because this AU spans 12 years and is only set at the playground here are some pointers to help you understand:
> 
> \- Tina didn't date Artie or Mike  
> \- Quinn didn't get pregnant  
> \- Quinn never had her car accident  
> in this AU

1\. 5 years old

The first time Quinn and Tina go to the playground together they are 5 and have labelled each other as their ‘best friends’ at school. Tina loves spending the whole time at the park on the swings. It doesn’t take long to convince Quinn to join her so they get up on the swings next to each other. She looks over to Quinn attempting to kick her legs up in the air. Tina watches her friend struggle so asks her gently,  
“Do you want your Mom to push you?”

Quinn nods but before she can call out to her mother she falls off the swings. Tina just watches in slow motion as her new best friend falls to the ground and screams for her mother. Quinn’s mom comes over and gives her a hug and talks quietly with her. She’s now struggling to get off the swings without falling like Quinn but as she attempts to wriggle free her mom grabs her by the waist and lets her down. Her mom reprimands her that she shouldn’t go on the swings without getting her or Quinn’s mother’s attention.

Her mom asks her to apologise to Quinn’s mom so she walks over to them. She looks up at Quinn’s mother and apologises. Quinn’s mom repeats what her mom said so she thinks that must mean it’s very important. Tina looks at Quinn after apologising to her mom and can see the tear tracks on her face. She decides to apologise to Quinn so she says “sorry” and gives her a hug. Her mom grabs her hand and says to her,  
“We have to go now. You will see Quinn on Monday.” 

2\. 10 years old

Today they are celebrating the fact they can go to the park without supervision. They are freshly graduated elementary school kids and have 3 months of summer break in front of them to enjoy. They invited their other friends Mercedes and Artie to play as well. Mercedes and Artie have taken to a corner of the sandpit and are building a sandcastle. Artie’s wheelchair parked on the grass nearby. 

Tina’s enjoying swinging on the monkey bars with Quinn and sliding down the slide. There are some other kids on the playground but Tina’s just enjoying hanging with her friends and ignoring everyone else. After the third time down the slides she hears Mercedes call out,  
“Come look at our sandcastle.”  
Quinn and Tina walk from the slides to where Mercedes and Artie are sitting.  
That sandcastle is awesome you guys,” she says as they sit down. 

They spend some time talking between themselves on the sand and then Quinn checks her watch and exclaims,  
“We have to be back at my house in 30 minutes,”  
she then looks at Tina and says,  
“Let’s swing before we go back.” Quinn stands and then helps Tina up. Tina shouts as they walk towards the swings,  
“Mercedes, let us know when we need to leave.” 

Tina gets onto the swings and watches as Quinn gets onto the swings and promptly falls off again. Tina looks down at her friend who’s sitting on the sand and laughing,  
“Of course, I fall off the swings the first time my mom leaves us unattended at the park.”  
Quinn’s laughing is contagious and soon Tina is laughing so much she thinks she’ll fall off the swings as well. She decides to get off the swings and sits on the sand with her.

After a few minutes they get up, Tina hugs Quinn and then they get on the swings again. Swinging high on their small ten-year-old legs and continuing to laugh. 

3\. 13 years old

One day during winter break while Tina is at Quinn’s house Quinn asks, “can we go down the park?”  
Tina looks away from the movie to and says, “it’s freezing,”  
Quinn replies,  
“I just want to get out for a bit,” Tina looks at her best friend and can’t help but agree. 

They go to the coat room of Quinn’s house and put on their jackets, beanies, gloves and scarves. Tina in all black and Quinn in a pink jacket and yellow knitted maxi dress.  
The cold air hits Tina’s face as she steps onto the front porch and she lets out an involuntary cold shiver. She feels Quinn wrap an arm around her body as she says,  
“let’s go, walking will warm us up.” They’ve stayed friends during middle school even as Quinn got popular and joined cheerleading and Tina discovered goth. Tina kind of loves how different they present themselves these days but how inherently similar they still are. 

The park has been unchanging throughout their 7 years of friendship. During their best moments, the worst moments, the park has seen it all. They both sit on the swings and Quinn exclaims, “that’s so cold,” and jumps up again. Tina just laughs and says,  
“glad you didn’t fall off,” Quinn just shoves her shoulder a little and Tina’s exclaims, “hey, do you want me to fall as well!” Quinn shakes her head. 

Quinn then stands up to her full length and says, “well I’m not sitting on that,” Tina says,  
“that’s no fun,” smiling up at her from the swings. Quinn seems to think for a second and then sits on Tina’s lap. She lets out an oof and then plants her boots on the frozen sand to ground them. Quinn’s back is on her chest and Tina thinks that this position isn’t very good for talking.  
“Hey, why don’t you turn around so we can see each other.” 

When Quinn is facing her, in her lap and has her arms around her body to balance on the swings Quinn asks,  
“Is that better?”  
Tina looks into her eyes and says,  
“Yeah.” Tina feels like she can say anything in this position so she asks,  
“Do you miss sitting with me for lunch?”  
Tina can see a bit of conflict in Quinn’s eyes but then she says with authority,  
“Yes,” quickly Quinn adds,  
“Are you not enjoying sitting with Artie, Mercedes and Kurt?”  
“They’re great, but I miss sharing my lunch with you,”  
“I do too, but I see you every day,” she then adds,  
“I’m not going anywhere, I just need to sit with the cheerleaders and jocks right now.” 

She thinks she understands Quinn’s desire to keep her popularity. Wearing black and having a ‘don’t give a crap attitude’ is her way of keeping the bullies away. She just really doesn’t want to lose Quinn to popularity and boyfriends. 

She comes back to the present to the feeling of Quinn stroking her hair and sitting facing her on the frozen swings. She looks into Quinn’s eyes and sees such affection and sees there’s such a miniscule distance between them. It just feels right so she leans in, covers the distance and puts her lips on Quinn’s. It lasts for a few seconds and when she looks back up she sees Quinn looking at her with confusion. 

In a few seconds Quinn gets off Tina’s lap and in the momentum they both fall back onto the frozen sand. The moment is over and Tina feels wet, cold and confused. 

4\. 14 years old

Tina is sitting at the swings alone today. High school is a different experience to middle school. If she thought Quinn’s popularity was big in middle school it’s so different now. It feels like she hardly sees Quinn anymore even though they share three classes. Quinn has been sitting with the football players in class anyway so it’s not like Tina spends time with her passing notes and bitching about the teachers. 

The boys at school have grown up during summer break as well. She has noticed how attractive Mike looks, the new transfer kid on the football team, who’s leaner than most of the others. She does find guys attractive, it’s just that she’s been pining over her childhood best friend who she hardly talks to anymore. It feels like a betrayal to herself to start dating any guy when she doesn’t want to give her heart away to anyone but Quinn. 

Tina doesn’t know how long she’s been sitting on the swings letting her brain run in circles when she notices someone sitting on the swings next to her. She turns and comes face to face with the subject of her thoughts.  
“When I couldn’t get a hold of you I thought you’d be here,”  
“Why did you want to talk to me anyway?” Tina thinks it’s harsh enough, considering the amount of radio silence that’s been going on between them, not looking at her  
“I guess I deserved that,”  
“Yeah,” she’s still looking at her feet,  
“You’re still my best friend, you know,” now Tina looks at her because she’s angry, Quinn’s hardly messaged her in the last few months,  
“I would assume best friends don’t ditch each other for popularity,” she’s angry now, in the past she understood, but now she feels cheated and alone,  
“I’m sorry Tina,” Quinn turns her body a bit so she’s facing her,  
“I’m sorry I got caught up in popularity and guys attention and trying to please Miss Sylvester and stopped seeing my bestie,”  
Tina does look in her eyes and says with more conviction,  
“Thank you for the apology, also come to Hot Topic with me tomorrow after school to prove you love me.”

Quinn agrees, and just before they start swinging Quinn take Tina’s hand and says, “I love you too.” Tina is swinging high but she feels her heart swinging higher. 

Neither Tina or Quinn fall of the swings, but they did fall in love a little bit more with each other. 

5\. 16 years old

Somehow the park became a hang-out for the New Directions, especially during the summer months. The show choir that was restarted halfway through their freshman year is chaotic and fun. Tina was just so glad to have her middle school besties be part of the same club. All of that is worth Santana’s snark and Rachel and Finn’s antics. 

It’s now autumn time so no one else wants to be at an old park during the school week. Quinn and Tina are taking it as an opportunity to spend some time just the two of them, without parents, well-meaning and less well-meaning friends. Sitting on the flat surface at the top of the slides, Tina asks the question that’s been nagging her all week,  
“Have you officially broken up with Sam?”  
“Yeah, I felt silly dating him,” she then shuts her mouth so Tina prompts,  
“Why is that?” Quinn looks away and Tina hardly hears her when she whispers,  
“You know why.” 

Tina thinks she knows why. Quinn has been spending so much time with her recently. Sometimes Tina sees the way Quinn looks at her but has been trying to not read into it because she’d had boyfriends for years. She doesn’t want to make the wrong conclusion again. She definitely needs more from Quinn than a vague statement. 

Finally, Quinn asks,  
“Do you want to go for a swing?”  
At this point it’s become a running joke so Tina asks,  
“Are you going to fall off this time?”  
Quinn surprises her by saying, “I think I’m going to jump instead.”

Once they get on the swings Quinn starts talking. She mostly talks about dating Finn and Sam but then she starts talking about her, about Tina. When she mentions the small kiss at fourteen Tina starts to interrupt but Quinn stops her before she says anything. Quinn then asks,  
“Do you think you’re gay?”  
Tina is confused for a second thinking it might be a rhetorical question to her thoughts but then Quinn looks at her and asks again. She answers in the most honest way,  
“No, but I don’t think I’m straight either,”  
That is the best way she can describe it right now. 

Quinn just nods and doesn’t say anything. After a reasonable pause Tina breathes in all her courage and asks,  
“What are you nodding to, exactly?”  
Tina watches as Quinn blushes and stammers through,  
“Well that’s good for you, I-I mean I accept you, also, I don’t think I’m straight either.”  
Tina cannot believe she is hearing her best friend admit that. Quinn and Tina talk and talk on the swings, inadvertently admit they like each other and have a great conversation about their sexualities. 

When Quinn tries to jump off the swings she does end up falling over onto the cold sand. This time when Tina gives her a hug after helping her off the ground, she also gives her a proper kiss. 

6\. 18 years old

The New Directions are celebrating graduation at Blaine’s house when it’s found out that Blaine and Quinn live only a few streets from each other. From there someone mentions the park and they all decide to go there. It’s only 6:30pm but as everyone’s been going all afternoon. Most of the group is drunk or pepped up on sugar or both. Tina had two drinks hours ago so she is feeling fine and her girlfriend is mostly sober too. 

Sam’s taken up videoing everything recently, saying something about, “keeping memories forever.” She thinks it’s a little silly and sometimes quite annoying but she doesn’t want to hear about the wonders of the video-camera again so she’s keeping her mouth shut. 

Tina's laying on the grass with beside the sandpit with Quinn and talking. After a while Quinn gets up to go talk to Sam and Tina continues staring up at the sky. A few minutes later Kurt and Mercedes join her, laying down on either side. After a few minutes Artie rolls up and says,  
“Hey, hey, hey, can I join this group?”  
Artie uses his arms to get down from his chair but is caught in an awkward position.  
“Hey, peeps, can someone help me?”  
Kurt helps him down and gets him into a comfy position. The four of them lay together and reminisce about middle school days. With Mercedes moving to LA, Tina, Quinn and Kurt headed to the East Coast and Artie still having a year left of school they hold on to the last shreds of their childhood. Blaine and Sam eventually find them and it ends up turning into a kind of group hug. 

Quinn and Tina do make it onto the swings before sunset. They don’t often talk and swing and with the noise of the rest of the group they happily watch their friends talk and be idiots together. Sam knocks Tina out of her reverie when he comes up with his video-camera and says,  
“Say hi to the camera.” She starts shouting HI but then she turns to the side to see Quinn fall off the swings with one arm in the air in what she thinks is supposed to be a wave. 

Tina can’t believe her girlfriend. She ends up biting her lip to not laugh at her sitting on the sand, like she did when she fell off the swings at ten years old. Tina gets off the swings and onto the sand unsuccessfully trying to hold in her laugh.  
“It’s officially part of my brand that I fall off the swings, I just had to,”  
“It certainly is,”  
She replies still laughing.  
It takes them a second to realise that Sam is still videoing them and then Quinn says  
“Please don’t tell me you filmed that.”  
Sam looks delighted and replied  
“Of course, I filmed it.”

Quinn attempts to fight Sam to try to delete the footage but is unsuccessful. Tina messages Sam a few days later and asks for a copy of the video of Quinn falling off the swings.  
Things that happen that much should be immortalised forever.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading and thanks for the emotional support people (you know who you are). 
> 
> follow me on tumblr @gorgxoxus


End file.
